Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-117034 (Patent Document 1) describes a system for providing video/character news to the user. A news database server in this system is provided with a database storage section which comprises a video database section, a news database section, and a map database section. The map database section stores map image data, map coordinate data, and specific location symbols in relation to each other. The video database section stores video information in relation to location symbols corresponding to the coordinates of news locations. The news database section stores information in text which is prepared for news information or advertisement in relation to location symbols.
The user clicks a desired location in a map image displayed on a terminal to input a specific location symbol corresponding to the location, thereby accessing a database server. In response to the access, a search screen and map image information are transmitted from the server to the terminal, on which they are displayed. The database server searches the video database section and the news database section based on the location symbol to retrieve video information and character information, which are allowed to be displayed on the terminal. Thus, in the system, by selecting a location from the map image, video/character news at the location can be accessed.
In the system of Patent Document 1, when the user acquires information (video information and character information), the user needs to select (click) a location in a map image which is related to the information. With such a selection method, it is difficult to address a change in scale of map display. Specifically, for example, when a map with a small scale is displayed, a distance between each displayed location is short, so that a plurality of locations are displayed close together, and as a result, it is difficult to select a desired location. Thus, with the location selecting method described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for the user to select a location when the scale of a displayed map is changed.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments is to provide a display control program and a display control device which achieve interface capable of facilitating selection of information related to a location when the user selects a location in a virtual space, such as a map or the like.
Certain exemplary embodiments have the following aspects to attain the feature mentioned above. Note that reference numerals, additional descriptions and the like inside parentheses in this section indicate correspondence to exemplary embodiments described below for the sake of easy understanding, and do not limit the certain exemplary embodiments described herein.
A first aspect is directed to a computer readable storage medium storing a display control program which is executed by a computer (CPU 10, etc.) of a display control device (game apparatus 3) for displaying a virtual space (map 51) and display information (news information) on a display device (television 2). The display control device comprises a storage means (main memory 13) for storing a plurality of pieces of the display information in relation to locations (news locations) in the virtual space. The program causes the computer to execute a display position comparing step (S37), a group setting step (S35, S39), a region setting step (S24), a first display control step (S59, S13), a first input receiving step (S3, S4), and a second display control step (S67, S13; S10, S13). In the display position comparing step, the computer compares positions in a display region of the display device of the locations to which the plurality of pieces of display information are related. In the group setting step, the computer sets a group of pieces of display information for which a distance between the locations is smaller than a predetermined first reference, based on a result of the comparison in the display position comparing step, thereby dividing the plurality of pieces of display information into a plurality of groups. In the region setting step, the computer sets a determination region corresponding to each of the groups in the display region. In the first display control step, the computer displays an image of the virtual space on the display device. In the first input receiving step, the computer receives an input designating a position in the display region from a user. In the second display control step, the computer, when the designated position is present within the determination region, displays the display information included in a group corresponding to the determination region on the display device using data stored in the storage means.
In a second aspect, in the group setting step, the computer may repeatedly execute a process of newly setting one group for predetermined display information for which a group has not been set, and putting, into the group, display information related to a location having a smaller distance from a location related to the display information in the display region than a predetermined distance (r2), until no display information for which a group has not been set remains.
In a third aspect, the storage means may further store a predetermined second reference for setting a determination region with respect to a position in the display region of each location. In this case, in the group setting step, the computer sets the predetermined distance based on the second reference. In the region setting step, the computer sets a determination region for a location to which a predetermined piece of display information included in a group is related, based on the second reference, as a determination region corresponding to the group.
In a fourth aspect, the determination region may be a circular region having a radius of a first length (r1), and the storage means stores the first length as the second reference. In the group setting step, the computer sets the predetermined distance to be a length two times larger than the first length.
In a fifth aspect, the determination region may be a circular region having a position in the display region of the location as a center thereof.
In a sixth aspect, in the region setting step, the computer may set a region including all locations to which display information included in a group is related, as a determination region for the group.
In a seventh aspect, the storage means further stores a predetermined second reference for setting a region for a position in the display region of each location. In this case, in the region setting step, the computer sets a region for each location to which display information included in a group is related, based on the second reference, and sets each set region as a determination region corresponding to the group.
In an eighth aspect, in the region setting step, the computer may calculate a position in the display region based on a display position of each location to which display information included in a group is related, and may set a region including the calculated position as a determination region corresponding to the group.
In a ninth aspect, in the first display control step, the computer may display an image of the virtual space and an image representing a group in relation to a position of the determination region corresponding to the group.
In a tenth aspect, in the second display control step, the computer may display a list of display information included in a group corresponding to the determination region when the designated position is present within the determination region.
In an eleventh aspect, the display control program causes the computer to further execute a second input receiving step (S3, S4) and a third display control step (S10, S13). In the second input receiving step, the computer receives an input of selecting display information from the list (71) of display information displayed in the second display control step. In the third display control step, the computer, when display information is selected in the second input receiving step, displays the selected display information on the display device.
In a twelfth aspect, the virtual space may be a three-dimensional space. In this case, the display control program causes the computer to further execute a camera setting step (S21), and a display position calculating step (S36). In the camera setting step, the computer changeably sets at least one of a position, an attitude, and a visual field angle of a virtual camera provided in the three-dimensional space. In the display position calculating step, the computer calculates a display position of the location based on the setting of the virtual camera. In this case, in the group setting step, the computer sets a group based on the display position calculated in the display position calculating step. In the first display control step, the computer generates an image of the three-dimensional space based on the setting of the virtual camera and displays the image on the display device.
In a thirteenth aspect, the virtual space may be a two-dimensional space. In this case, the display control program causes the computer to further execute a display setting step of changeably setting a size of a region to be displayed in the two-dimensional space. In the first display control step, the computer displays an image in the region set in the display setting step on the display device.
Note that certain exemplary embodiments may be provided in the form of a display control device having functions equivalent to the steps described above. Further, certain exemplary embodiments may be provided in the form of a data distributing system including a display control device (game device 3) and a server which can communicate with the display control device. In this case, the server transmits distribution data in which a plurality of pieces of display information are related to locations in a virtual space to the display control device. Also, the display control device has a storage means for storing distribution data transmitted from the server.
According to the first aspect, pieces of display information related to a plurality of locations displayed close together are put into one group, and a determination region is set for each group. Further, when the user designates a position in a determination region, display information included in a group corresponding to the determination region is displayed. Thereby, when the user selects a group by designating a position, all of a plurality of locations displayed close to that group are designated. As a result, all pieces of display information related to the plurality of locations are displayed. Therefore, according to the first aspect, it is possible to avoid the situation that an unintended location is designated, so that only display information which is not desired is displayed. Thereby, it is possible to facilitate selection of display information related to a location.
According to the second aspect, a group is set for predetermined display information, and display information related to a location close to the predetermined display information is put into the same group. Thereby, pieces of display information related to locations within a predetermined distance from the location to which the predetermined display information is related are put into one group. Therefore, a range of locations to which pieces of display information included in a group are related is not larger than necessary, i.e., a group can be appropriately set.
According to the third aspect, a determination region is set based on the same second reference for each group, so that each determination region has the same shape and size. Thereby, it is easy for the user to designate a determination region, so that an input operation having satisfactory operability can be provided.
According to the fourth aspect, the determination regions set for separate groups do not overlap each other, so that the determination region can be appropriately set.
According to the fifth aspect, the determination region is in the shape of a circle, so that it is easy to determine whether or not a position is present within a region.
According to the sixth aspect, a predetermined location related to each piece of display information included in a group is included in a determination region, so that if each location is designated, a determination region corresponding to the location can be reliably designated. Therefore, it is easy for the user to designate a determination region, so that an input operation having satisfactory operability can be provided.
According to the seventh aspect, a region is set for each piece of display information, and a determination region is set to include all regions set for all pieces of display information included in a group. Therefore, if the user designates a region set for display information included in a group, a determination region can be reliably designated. Therefore, a determination region can be easily and reliably designated, an input operation having operability satisfactory for the user can be provided.
According to the eighth aspect, a determination region is determined, taking into consideration positions of all locations corresponding to all pieces of display information included in a group, thereby making it possible to set the determination region at an appropriate position.
According to the ninth aspect, an image representing a group is displayed in relation to a position of a determination region corresponding to the group, so that the user can easily recognize the set group.
According to the tenth aspect, when the user selects a group, a list of display information included in the group is displayed. Therefore, the user can recognize pieces of display information in the selected group at a glance.
According to the eleventh aspect, the user can select display information when a list of display information is displayed, and see further information (e.g., more detailed information) by selecting display information. Thus, by presenting display information in a stepwise manner, the user can more easily search for desired display information.
According to the twelfth aspect, even when a distance between predetermined locations on a map is changed by enlarging or reducing a three-dimensional map image or changing an angle of depression, an appropriate group can be set in real time.
According to the thirteenth aspect, even when a distance between predetermined locations on a map is changed by enlarging or reducing a two-dimensional map image, an appropriate group can be set in real time.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the certain exemplary embodiments described herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.